Display device



July 7, 1936. HEDGE 2,046,896

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Feb. 3, 1936 Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY DEVICE Bess M. Hedge, Oklahoma. City, okra.

Application February 3, 1936, Serial No. 62,149

2 Claims.

My invention relates to display devices and more particularly to indirectly lighted revoluble display devices. a e

In the display of woolens, piece goods, and the like, as well as jewelry and other articles it is desirable that a light approximating daylight be available. A great percentage of prospective buyers desire to remove the article from stock'for a view under actual day light before they make a decision to purchase.

The main object of my invention is to provide a display device on which a number of articles may be displayed under indirect light approximating day light.

Other objects are to provide a device of this class which is new, novel, practical, and of utility; which prevents a direct light from shining in the buyers eyes; which may be rotated manually or by motor; which may be easily moved from place to place without damage to floors; which may be comparatively cheaply constructed; and, which will be efficient in accomplishing all the purposes for which it is intended.

With these and other objects in View as will more fully appear hereinbelow, my invention consists in the construction, novel features,'and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing, of which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device assembled;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the device showing diagrammatically the distribution of indirect light rays, as well as the mounting of the motor with relation to the base' plate and tray;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the two center posts showing the upper bearing mounting;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower ends of the two center posts showing the lower bearing mounting, and the mounting of the center post on the base plate; and,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cut-away section of the upper end of the center post showing the wiring details, and the manner of attaching the lamp 'shadeto the center post.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight, material and other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawing is to be interpreted as being i1- lustrative and not restrictive.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing whereinz- Numeral l designates a base plate. A plurality of through perforations are provided near its outer edge, each adapted to receive a threaded end 2 of a' centrally bored bolt 3. Nuts 4 screw tightly on the upper ends 2, holding the bolts 3 in position on the plate I. The spindle ends of ordinary casters 20 are inserted in the central bores of the bolts 3. A rubber wheeled caster is preferable to prevent possible damage to floors or rugs.

The base plate I has a centrally located upstanding collar 5 having a threaded central-bore 6. The lower end I of a hollow center post 8 is exteriorly threaded and screws into the bore 6 of the base plate I, andis held rigid therein.

A sleeve 9, whose inside diameter is considerably larger than the outside diameter of post 8, fits over and around post 8.- Adjacent its lower end sleeve 9 has an integral annular shoulder H). A ball bearing assembly H fits inside the lower endof sleeve 9 and around post 8, spacing the two apart. The lower surface of the bearing ll rests on a smaller annular shoulder l 2 of the base plate I, and the shoulder ID of the sleeve 9 bears on the bearing ll, thus supporting the weight of sleeve'9 and attachments. The upper end of the sleeve 9 is rotatably mounted on a similar bearing'assembly l3 surrounding post 8 and fitting tightly inside sleeve 9. Post 8 extends for some little distance beyond the end of sleeve 9 when the two are in assembled position.

A tray l4 preferably circular having a centrally bored collar I5 is pressed on the lower end of sleeve 9, or may be welded or rigidly secured in any suitable manner. This tray, of course, may be made polygonal in'shape, and its outer edge may be turned upward or downward. Its diameter is preferably greater than that of the base plate, as shown in Fig. 2, so that an electric motor l6, mounted on the base plate I in any suitable manner, is hidden from view. The fitted end of the motor shaft bears frictionally on the lower surface of the tray l4 rotating the tray and sleeve 9. The speed may be varied by changing the point of frictional contact. It will be understood by one familiar with the art that the tray l4 may be rotated by means other than frictional contact.

Intermediate the tray 14 and its upper end the sleeve 9 carries a plurality of display racks 2|, 22, 23, 24, and 25 adjustably secured thereon by means of set screw 18 through central collars I9 of each rack. The diameter of each rack is progressively smaller than the diameter of the rack below it, and the diameter of rack 2| is less than that of the tray I 4 (Fig. 2). The actual difference in diameter would depend on the spacing between the racks. the number of racks used, and the length of the sleeve 9. In assembled position the outer edges of the various racks describe a truncated conical form. The reason for this relation will be hereinbelow explained.

I prefer to use flat rims vertically mounted for the racks, but round tubing may be used. The spokes 26 of each rack are preferably made of tubing. It will be seen that pieces of glass properly sized and shaped may be carried by the spokes 26 of each rack, thus converting the racks to shelves; or the racks may be made of solid sheet material, similar to the tray I4.

A plurality of light assemblies 21 composed of light sockets, reflectors, and bulbs are carried on the outer ends of a similar number of lengths 28 of hollow tubing, as shown in Fig. 2. The inner end of each length of tubing is threaded and screws into a threaded perforation provided therefor in the wall of center post 8 (see Fig. 5). The light assemblies 21 are thus rigidly positioned in their relation to center post 8. If desired a central collar (not shown) similar to the collars l9 may be used for mounting the inner ends of said lengths 29 of hollow tubing. The ends may be welded or threadedly connected, but their interiors should communicate with the interior of post 8.

The upper end of post 8 is threaded. To rigidly mount the large reflector 29 a nut 30 (Fig. 5) is screwed on the post 8. The reflector is then placed over and around post 8, the threaded end of the post projecting beyond the upper surface of the reflector. A cap nut Si is then screwed down tightly on the reflector 29 holding it rigidly in position on the post 8.

My description has followed the order of assembly and it will be seen that with the device thus assembled the light assemblies 21, the reflector 29, the post 8 and the base plate I are relatively stationary, while the tray l4, sleeve 9, and the racks 2i, 22, 23, 24, and 25 are locked to rotate together and are free to rotate on the ball bearing assemblies H and I3 around post 8.

Double strand electric wire 32 preferably supplies current to the light assemblies 21. The wire passes through the base at 6, upward through the center post 8, and lead wires 33 (Fig. 2) enclosed in the lengths 28 of hollow tubing connect the sockets of the light assemblies 21 to the supply wire 32 as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, I call attention to the light assemblies 21 and their relation to the reflector 29. The light is thrown upward and the greater portion of the light from each bulb hits the sloping portion 34 of the reflector 29 and is thereby reflected downward and approximately equally distributed along the up right space between the outer edge of tray l4 and the lower edge of the reflector 35. All rays reflected downward from said sloping portion 34 of the reflector 29 meet the surface of the truncated conical form described by the peripheries of said racks at an oblique angle, but at an angle greater than the angle which said form makes with its axis. Considering the relative size and spacing of the racks, as previously described, no rack will prevent light rays from reaching the outer edge of the rack below. Pieces of goods hanging one above the other on the various racks would receive only indirect light, and the goods hanging on the outer rim of the rack 2| receives sufficient natural colored light to prevent any necessity of removing it from the display device. I obtain this natural colored light by using a special type bulb, which is not per se a part of my invention. Any surplus goods in bolts would be placed endwise on the tray l4 and held in upright position along the sleeve 9 by the spokes 26. The cloth displayed on the outer rims of the racks would hide such bolts of cloth from view. It will also be seen that the reflectors 35 of the light assemblies 21 are so shaped and positioned with relation to the large reflector 29 that no direct light rays from the bulbs may escape from under the edge of the reflector 29. A person engaged in examining cloth displayed on my rack receives no direct light rays in his eyes.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than as detailed, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations and other uses of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A display device comprising: a center post; a base member for supporting said center post; a sleeve surrounding and enclosing said center post intermediate its ends and rotatably mounted thereon; said sleeve having rigidly secured thereto and surrounding it a plurality of spaced racks of varying areas; a tray surrounding said sleeve near its lower end and rigidly secured thereto; a large downwardly extending reflector carried by said center post; a plurality of outwardly extending arms rigidly secured to said center post adjacent said reflector; a light assembly mounted on the outer end of each of said outwardly extending arms; said light assemblies so constructed as to prevent direct rays of light from passing out from under said large reflector; said large reflector shaped and positioned so as to throw indirect rays of light downward on said racks.

2. Organization as described in claim 1 in which the base member carries an electric motor mounted on its upper surface adapted to engage the lower surface of said tray, rotating the tray.

BESS M. HEDGE. 

